A series of artificial intelligence (AI)-related cheating scandals at Korean universities could carry long term risks for their global rankings, potentially weighing negatively on their reputation scores. While Korea's top universities face growing pressure to adapt to AI, most institutions have yet to translate that urgency into concrete action. QS, the global higher education analytics firm that publishes widely cited university rankings, said AI-related academic misconduct controversies could affect how universities are ranked. In response to a query from The Korea Times, QS said such incidents are not assessed directly, but could be reflected indirectly in academic and employer reputation scores — indicators that carry significant weight in their global rankings. “History shows that sustained reputational damage from governance failures to academic misconduct can, over time, shape how institutions are viewed by global academic and employer communities,” said Simona Bizzozero, QS communications director. She added that the firm's reputation surveys, which are perception-based, la